New Supreme Court judge for Qld

A NEW Supreme Court justice has been appointed to ease the "heavy backlog of cases in the Queensland court system".

Barrister David Jackson, who has a prestigious Queen's Counsel label, will be sworn in as a Queensland justice in October and bring the total number of judges in the Supreme Court trial division to 20.

The Ipswich-born father of three has a stellar reputation for his involvement in mining, petroleum and constitutional law cases from 1965 to 1985.

He appeared as counsel for mining and petroleum interests in the Commonwealth-Queensland Royal Commission into petroleum drilling on the Great Barrier Reef and in controversial mineral sand mining inquiries in at Cooloola, Moreton Island, Fraser Island, Agnes Water and Sunshine Beach.

He also appeared on proposed North Queensland uranium mine cases and other mining proposals.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie, who announced the funding in the State Budget this week, described Mr Jackson as a leader of the commercial and appellate Bar in Brisbane.

He said there had been a six-month wait, sometimes longer, before new cases could be heard and Mr Jackson would help respond to the increased workload.

"The Supreme Court hears the most severe criminal cases. These are trials that should be getting under way as soon as possible," he said.